Operating a site upon an international communications network to cross-refer potential sellers and buyers of real estate to selected real estate agents, rebating a portion of referral fees earned to real estate sellers, or buyers, or both

Abstract

A referral site operated by a registered real estate broker upon an international communications network system enrolls, most preferably, both seller's and buyer's real estate agents who will provide a referral fee on real estate commissions earned by them from referred sellers, or buyers, or both who do pay said commissions. This referral site is searchable for agents or opportunity by both potential sellers and buyers of real estate. The site earns a referral fee each time an alerted enrolled real estate agent earns a commission, the referral fee preferably being paid directly from escrow. The referral site rebates a portion of this earned referral fee to the seller, or the buyer, of to both the seller and the buyer, as the case may be. The referral site may additionally donate some percentage of its earned referral fees to charity, preferably a charity linked to that community in which the property on which one or more commissions were paid was both sold and purchased.

1 . A business method of providing a buyer of real estate with a partial rebate of any buyer's real estate agent's commissions paid in a qualifying real estate transaction, the method comprising:
 enrolling at a site upon an international communications network other, buyer's, real estate agents who will pay a referral fee to the site upon their earning of buyer's real estate agent's sales commissions on sales made to real estate buyers referred to them by the site;   operating the site to refer identified potential buyers of real estate to enrolled buyer's real estate agents; while   alerting from the referral site enrolled buyers's real estate agents as to all referrals made of them, and to them, of potential buyers of real estate;   wherein a referral fee is collected by the referral site upon all real estate transactions in which an enrolled alerted buyer's real estate agent collects a commission on a sale of real estate to a buyer who was referred to this enrolled real estate agent by the referral site; and   rebating from the referral site to a referred real estate buyer a portion of a referral fee earned from the enrolled alerted buyer's real estate agent in respect of a qualifying real estate purchase made by the referred real estate buyer.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  further for providing a seller of real estate with a partial rebate of seller's real estate agent's commissions paid in a real estate transaction, the method further comprising:
 enrolling at the referral site still other, seller's, real estate agents who will pay a referral fee to the referral site upon their earning of seller's real estate agent's sales commissions on listings and sales made for real estate sellers referred to them by the referral site;   operating the referral site to refer identified potential sellers of real estate to enrolled seller's real estate agents; while   alerting from the referral site enrolled sellers's real estate agents as to all referrals made of them, and to them, of potential sellers of real estate;   wherein a referral fee is collected by the referral site upon all real estate transactions in which an enrolled alerted seller's real estate agent collects a commission on a sale of real estate by a seller who was referred to this enrolled real estate agent by the referral site; and   rebating from the referral site to a referred real estate seller a portion of a referral fee earned from the enrolled alerted seller's real estate agent in respect of a qualifying real estate sale made by the referred real estate seller.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein the fee of the referral site contracted with the seller's real estate agent is not fixed, but is rather a percentage of the seller's real estate agent's earned commission. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3  wherein the referral fee of the referral site that is a percentage of the seller's real estate agent's earned commission is within the range of 20% to 40% of said seller's real estate agent's overall earned commission. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4  wherein the rebate paid to the seller by the referral site is within the range of 70% to 90% of the referral fee collected by the referral site from the seller's real estate agent's earned commission, and is thus within the range of 14% to 36% of said seller's real estate agent's overall earned commission. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the fee of the referral site contracted with the buyer's real estate agent is not fixed, but is rather a percentage of the buyer's real estate agent's earned commission. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6  wherein the referral fee of the referral site that is a percentage of the buyer's real estate agent's earned commission is within the range of 20% to 40% of said buyer's real estate agent's overall earned commission. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7  wherein the rebate paid to the buyer by the referral site is within the range of 70% to 90% of the referral fee collected by the referral site from the buyer's real estate agent's earned commission, and is thus within the range of 14% to 36% of said buyer's real estate agent's overall earned commission. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising, including between the enrolling and the operating, the step of:
 advertising the referral site as providing a rebate to buyers of real estate who do purchase real estate using buyer's brokers referred to them by the referral site.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 making a charitable donation from the referral site to a charity local to where the real estate is sold and purchased, the donation being in memorialization of the real estate transaction, and so as to incur local good will for both real estate seller and real estate buyer.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1   wherein the enrolling is at the referral site of a licensed real estate broker or agent.   
     
     
         12 . A business method of providing a seller of real estate with a partial rebate of any seller's real estate agent's commissions paid in a qualifying real estate transaction, the method comprising:
 enrolling at the site of a registered licensed real estate agent upon an international communications network seller's real estate agents who will pay a referral fee to the site upon their earning of a seller's real estate agent's sales commissions on a listing made for, and a sale made by, a real estate seller who is referred to the seller's real estate agent by the site;   operating the site to refer identified potential sellers of real estate to enrolled seller's real estate agents; while   alerting from the referral site enrolled seller's real estate agents as to all referrals made of them, and to them, of potential sellers of real estate;   wherein a referral fee is collected by the referral site upon all real estate transactions in which an enrolled alerted seller's real estate agent collects a commission on a sale of real estate by a seller who was referred to this enrolled seller's real estate agent by the referral site; and   rebating from the referral site to a referred real estate seller a portion of a referral fee earned from the enrolled alerted seller's real estate agent in respect of a qualifying real estate sale made by the referred real estate seller.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12  further for providing a buyer of real estate with a partial rebate of buyer's real estate agent's commissions paid in a real estate transaction, the method further comprising:
 enrolling at the referral site still other, buyer's, real estate agents who will pay a referral fee to the referral site upon their earning of buyer's real estate agent's sales commission on a real estate sale made to a real estate buyer referred to them by the referral site;   operating the referral site to refer identified potential buyers of real estate to enrolled buyer's real estate agents; while   alerting from the referral site enrolled buyer's real estate agents as to all referrals made of them, and to them, of potential buyers of real estate;   wherein a referral fee is collected by the referral site upon all real estate transactions in which an enrolled alerted buyer's real estate agent collects a commission on a purchase of real estate by a buyer who was referred to this enrolled buyer's real estate agent by the referral site; and   rebating from the referral site to a referred real estate buyer a portion of a referral fee earned from the enrolled alerted buyer's real estate agent in respect of a qualifying real estate purchase made by the referred real estate buyer.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12  further comprising, including between the enrolling and the operating, the step of:
 advertising the referral site as providing a rebate to sellers of real estate who do list and sell real estate using seller's brokers referred to them by the referral site.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 12   wherein the enrolling is at the referral site of a licensed real estate broker or agent.   
     
     
         16 . A business method of providing a buyer of real estate, a seller of real estate, or both with a partial rebate of, respectively, buyer's real estate agent's commissions paid, seller's real estate agent's commissions paid, or both, in a real estate transaction, the method comprising:
 enrolling at a site upon an international communications network seller's, or buyer's, or both seller's and buyer's real estate agents who will pay a referral fee to the site upon their earning of a respective seller's, or buyer's, or both seller's and buyer's real estate agent's sales commissions respectively on sales made to, and purchases made by, sellers and buyers of real estate that are referred to these agents by the site;   operating the site to refer identified potential sellers of real estate to enrolled seller's real estate agents, and identified potential buyers of real estate to enrolled buyer's real estate agents, and   alerting from the referral site enrolled seller's real estate agents, of buyer's real estate agents, or both, as to all referrals made of them, and to them, of, respectively, potential sellers and buyers of real estate;   wherein a referral fee is collected by the referral site upon all real estate transactions in which (1) an enrolled alerted seller's real estate agent collects a commission on a sale of real estate by a seller who was referred to this enrolled seller's real estate agent by the referral site, (2) an enrolled alerted buyer's real estate agent collects a commission on a purchase of real estate by a buyer who was referred to this enrolled buyer's real estate agent by the referral site, or transactions in which (3) both seller's agents and buyer's agents collect commissions from respective sellers and buyers of real estate on respective sellers and buyers referred to them by the referral site; and   rebating from the referral site to a referred real estate seller, or buyer, or both, a portion of a referral fee earned from the enrolled alerted respective seller's real estate agent, buyer's real estate agent, or both, in respect of a qualifying real estate transaction made by the referred respective real estate seller, or buyer, or both;   where a real estate seller, or buyer, or both may receive a rebate on the commissions of a respective seller's real estate agent, buyer's real estate agent, or both seller's and buyer's real estate agent from, and through, the referral site.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16   wherein the enrolling is at the referral site of a licensed real estate broker or agent.